Dallas citizens get rare opportunity to meet police chief applicants

Dallas citizens get rare opportunity to meet police chief applicants

Former police chief David Brown retired in 2016.
Photo by Wyatt McSpadden

Dallas residents will get a rare opportunity to engage in the hiring process of the new Dallas police chief, with a meet-and-greet at Dallas City Hall. The seven candidates interviewing for the position, which was vacated in 2016 by outgoing chief David Brown, will appear on the second floor foyer of City Hall on July 11 from 6-8 pm.

How often do you get to interview a candidate for police chief? It's part of Dallas city manager T.C. Broadnax's initiative to make the process more transparent.

During the day, the candidates will participate in panel interviews with a whole range of groups that include: partners in the law enforcement community; the religious community; members of the various police associations; advocates who lead police support groups; and other neighborhood and community leaders.

The candidates arrived in Dallas on July 10 to tour the city and its police facilities, and to attend a private reception with community stakeholders.

City manager Broadnax will determine next steps after the interview process is concluded on Wednesday.

Broadnax reached out to more than 50 panelists from various neighborhood groups for feedback, including the controversial Dominique Alexander, head of the Next Generation Action Network (NGAN), the group that held a protest on July 7, 2016, in an attempt to be inclusive.

"I am hopeful that the new chief will have the capacity, wisdom, and appreciation for the diversity in perspectives, approaches, attitudes, and expectations that will be needed to lead the fine men and women of the Dallas Police Department," Broadnax says. "My commitment to transparency and inclusiveness will not be guided by popularity or be reduced to talking about specific individuals, groups, or organizations."